Hitler's suicide on 30 April 1945 marked the effective collapse of the Nazi regime and precipitated Germany's unconditional surrender, ending World War II in Europe.
Key Facts
- Date of death
- 30 April 1945
- Location
- Führerbunker, Berlin
- Method
- Self-inflicted gunshot wound, presumably to the temple
- Eva Braun's method
- Cyanide poisoning
- Bodies disposed
- Cremated in the Reich Chancellery garden
- Death announced
- 1 May 1945 via German radio broadcast
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
By late April 1945, Soviet forces had encircled Berlin and it was apparent that Germany would lose the Battle of Berlin. Facing imminent military defeat, capture, and the total destruction of the Nazi state he had led since 1933, Hitler chose suicide over surrender or capture by Allied forces.
On 30 April 1945, Hitler shot himself in the Führerbunker in Berlin. His wife Eva Braun, married to him the previous day, simultaneously took cyanide. Their bodies were subsequently carried into the Reich Chancellery garden and cremated per Hitler's explicit prior instructions. Dental remains recovered from the garden were matched to Hitler's records in May 1945.
Hitler's death was announced on German radio on 1 May 1945 and led directly to Germany's unconditional surrender to the Allied powers, ending World War II in Europe. The Soviet Union suppressed and distorted information about his death, generating enduring conspiracy theories. West Germany formally issued a death certificate in 1956 after an extensive legal review.